Monday, April 28, 2014

Poll of the uninformed

Published in the San Francisco Chronicle,
April 28, 2014

"Most in state approve of policy shifts in
education," April 24:

Yes, 69 percent of Californians polled said they liked the Common Core
standards after hearing a brief statement about them. The statement said only
that they "are designed to ensure that students graduating from high
school have the knowledge and skills they need to enter college programs or the
workforce." I'm surprised anybody would object.

Not mentioned is the fact that the standards call for a uniform but
untested curriculum and an astonishing amount of testing. Not mentioned is the
fact that the Common Core does not address the largest factor influencing
school performance: poverty. When researchers control for the effect of
poverty, American students score at the top of the world on international
tests.

Eighty percent of those interviewed said they knew either a little or
nothing at all about the Common Core. The description they heard, devoid of
meaningful detail, made them even less informed.